About Gordon

Living alone on a reporter's salary meant Gordon Dritschilo had to learn how to cook, which he threw himself into with a geekish passion. In the process, went from the sort of person who orders a cheeseburger at a fancy restaurant to having a reputation as the guy who will eat anything.

October 2012

10/25/2012

I was disappointed to learn that butterscotch is not actually made with Scotch.

I hope you don't think I let that deter me. While I would have preferred a nice highland single malt to make this glaze, I made do with the Cutty Sark that was readily available and have no complaints.

I have mentioned before how awesome chicken thighs are. They are both tastier and cheaper than breasts, and they make this dish work fabulously. The glaze adds a nice bit of flavor to the skin.

Butterscotch-Glazed Chicken

6 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

2 medium to large onions, finely chopped

6 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 cups (give or take) chicken stock

3-4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

butter

2 ounces (maybe a little more) scotch

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375

Pat the thighs dry and season well with salt and pepper. Brown them in some of the butter and set aside.

Sweat the onions in the chicken drippings, deglazing in some of the stock, and add the garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaf.

Return the chicken to the pot with enough stock to come halfway to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the thighs. Bring to a boil and place in the oven, UNCOVERED, for 90 minutes.

At around the 70 minute mark, combine the scotch with a good-size knob of butter in a saucepan and cook until it becomes a sticky goo, then brush it over the skin of the thighs and leave them in the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.

10/24/2012

At its heart, this is osso bucco, but with different meat. And different liquid. And different supplemental stuff in the pot. All that might make it sound like it's totally different, but it is the exact same technique, so if you can make one, you can make the other.

To make this dish, you will need to find two things that may require some searching out.

The first is Scotch ale, a strong, malty beer with a deep brown color. The easiest to find is a brand called Belhaven, which I have mentioned before and will bring up again before Scotchtoberfest concludes. However, for this I used Skullsplitter, which is stronger and comes in smaller bottles that have a Viking on the label. If you are of the localvourous persuation, McNeill's makes a decent version. Vermont Pub & Brewery makes an excellent Scotch Ale -- I have seen the mere whiff of one intoxicate smaller, weaker men -- but I have not been able to get them to put it in a growler.

You will also need lamb shanks that have been cut in half cross-wise, to make them more resemble osso bucco-style veal shanks and provide you with the convenient hole you'll need to scoop out the marrow. These can apparently be had from Costco. Closer to home, the last time I got lamb shanks at the Wallingford Locker they came cut most of the way through and just needed to be finished off at home. If all else fails, the folks at the supermarket butcher counter can likely be convinced to saw up some for you.

In the latter two cases, you are going to wind up with a meaty section of shinbone left over. These will be superb for flavoring a pot of beans, so put them aside for later.

Preliminaries aside, let's get down to the recipe!

Scotcho Bucco

Six (or less, or more -- I don't know how many people you're feeding) lamb shanks

One or two bottles Scotch ale

Three turnips, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

Four large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

Three large leeks, diced small

a generous splash of Scotch (In this economy, I won't tell you that you have to use single malt, because I sure didn't, but it would help.)

Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium-high heat and brown the lamb on all sides. Do this in batches to avoid crowding the pot.

Deglaze with the Scotch. Do not panic if the Scotch catches fire. This may have never happened to you with Madiera, you may have never heard of flambeing with Scotch, but don't worry, it'll go out after some of the alcohol has burned off.

Add the leeks and cook until soft. Add the thyme and cook for about a minute, then add the turnips, carrots and garlic.

Return the lamb to the pot with enough beer to come about halfway up the sides of the meat. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven for four to six hours.

When done, return the pot to the stove and cook liquid down if necessary. Serve with the liquid and vegetables spooned over the meat and with some bread for spreading the marrow on (seriously, don't not eat the marrow) and sopping up the liquid.

(Wait, are you still wondering what Scotchtoberfest is? Fine, it's a combination of turning Oktoberfest into a celebration of Scottish stuff instead of German stuff and an excuse to make an obscure Simpsons reference.)